Hair today, gone tomorrow for the frolicking follicles

Some hair-raising wagers are taking place around the NASCAR garage these days, literally! Bets are being made and high stakes are on the line, but instead of gambling with money, NASCAR types are hocking their hair.

What is it about men using hair as a motivational tool? Some grow it like a Chia Pet, while others cut it clean as a cue ball all in the name of perceived victory.

"Godfather" Dave Moody

For instance:

• In an act of solidarity several New York Mets players went Britney Spears-bald earlier this season and shaved their domes ...

• The Phoenix Suns forewent comfort on the court and refused to shave their faces in fear of breaking their winning streak ...

• If Magglio Ordonez of the Detroit Tigers hits .300, manager Jim Leyland promises to wash the right fielder's trademark locks ...

• And although Atlanta Falcons quarterback shirked on his promise, Michael Vick claimed he wouldn't cut his hair until his team won a Super Bowl.

NASCAR's Tom Giacchi headed down a similar path and refused to cut his beard until driver and long-time pal Carl Edwards won another Nextel Cup race. ... Edwards obliged on Sunday at Michigan to end a 52-race winless drought.

Motor-home driver for the No. 99 team, Giacchi -- who made the stand last year and said he wouldn't shave until Edwards won a Cup race -- could be mistaken for a young Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.

In fact, Giacchi's beard had grown so long "creatures" took up residence within the whiskers. November 2005 at the Texas had been the last time Edwards visited Victory Lane.

Edwards said at Dover, "We were sitting in the motor home and Tom looked at me and said, 'I think I got a tick in my beard.'

"He spread his hair and sure enough it was a tick. I said, 'Dude, you have creatures living in your beard.' "

Giacchi was ready to shave off the beard, but Edwards was more eager to break his winless streak. "I'll be happy, Tom will be happy, the only ones unhappy will be the parasites," Edwards said.

An equally hairy situation developed between Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick.

Before the Daytona 500, Stewart poked fun at Harvick's new red and yellow Shell-sponsored fire suit by holding up a photograph of Harvick's face with a Ronald McDonald body.

Jeremy Mayfield, circa 1998

Harvick retaliated with a challenge and Stewart manned up. If the fans, or "someone," can raise $100,000 to donate to the Victory Junction Gang Camp, Smoke has agreed to wax his barbarian-like back hair.

Dave Moody, MRN Radio motorsports announcer and host of Sirius Speedway lost his iconic, 30-year-old goatee in the name of charity after the "Godfather" promised to shave if listeners pushed donations past the $1 million mark during the recent NASCAR Day telethon.

Kale Kahne, younger brother of Kasey Kahne, is familiar with follicle follies. He experienced one in 2005 when his blonde locks where put on the line if big brother found Victory Lane.

Kale Kahne had put in some serious effort growing his hair long; it was just above his broad shoulders.

"That season we were so close to winning, we were second six times that year. Then everyone was telling me to cut my hair if he wins," Kahne said. "I said 'if that's what it takes ...' He won in Richmond and I was supposed to cut it and never did."

How very Michael Vick of you, Kale Kahne.

Whatever bizarre hair practices the Kahne stable was practicing in 2006 should be revisited. That was the season Kasey Kahne visited Victory Lane six times.

Wait, hold the scissors. Didn't Kasey Kahne dye his hair black before the March race at Bristol? Somebody call Miss Clairol and get that boy some color!

Since we're on the subject of dye jobs, what about the time in 1998 when driver Jeremy Mayfield and his former crew on the No. 12 at Penske Racing South went platinum in hopes of changing their luck?

"It looked pretty cool for a little while, but man, once it started to grow out it was just a disaster," Mayfield said. "We tried to dye it back to my natural color and it just came out looking orange or red or something so we had to keep doing stuff to it and then it just burned the hell out of my head. It was the worst. I don't even remember now if it changed our luck or not."

Not. And apparently, blondes don't always have more fun.

In 2001, Mayfield was released from Penske after the September race at Kansas. He signed with Evernham Motorsports in 2002 only to be released in August '06 in the midst of a lawsuit in which Mayfield accused Evernham of being an absentee owner. Now Mayfield is driving a Toyota for Bill Davis Racing.

"I think if my 360 OTC Racing team ever decides to do anything like that, I'd have to sit it out this time," Mayfield added.

Seemingly, there's no explanation or historical reasoning why men, not women, shave or sheer over placed ventures or in hopes of victory.

"I have no idea why," Kale Kahne said. "It's something different to talk about."